DOMINICAN UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA

FINAL SIOP LESSON PLAN

Name:
Marla Leland
Content Area: Science
Grade Level:
4th Grade (new standards)
English Learners:

The class is a sheltered lesson for English learners in a mainstream

classroom. The class has 27 children, 4 of which are English Language
Learners. The ELD levels for these students are at the expanding level.

Peer Evaluator:
Directions:

Nancy ONeill

1. After selecting your content area and describing the English learners in your
hypothetical classroom, answer the questions below for each of the SIOP
components.
2. Ask a classmate to complete the peer review form and return it to you.
3. Make additions and changes to your lesson based on peer feedback.
Highlight all of the changes you make to your lesson.
4. Bring a hard copy of the peer evaluation (written feedback only) and your
final SIOP lesson (with highlights indicating the changes you have made to your
lesson) to the final class meeting).

Preparation
ACADEMIC CONTENT STANDARD(S):
New Curriculum standard: 4-LS1-1. Construct an argument that
plants and animals have internal and external structures that
function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.
[Clarification Statement: Examples of structures could include
thorns, stems, roots, colored petals, heart, stomach, lung, brain, and
skin. Each structure has specific functions within its associated
system.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment is limited to
macroscopic structures within plant and animal systems.]
Old Standards: Students will know the sequential steps of
digestion and the roles of teeth and the mouth, esophagus,
stomach, small intestine, large intestine/colon in the function of the
digestive system.

2. ACADEMIC LEARNING GOALS (outcomes/objectives) for this lesson:

Define what the function is for each specific part of the digestive
system and be able to label each part of the digestive system on a
diagram.

3. ELD STANDARD(S):
Expanding EL Students:
Exchanging information/ideas; Contribute to class, group,
and partner discussions, including sustained dialogue, by
following turntaking rules, asking relevant questions, affirming
others, and adding relevant information

Writing: Section 10b) write increasingly concise summaries of

text and experiences using complete sentences and key word
(e.g., from notes or graphic organizers)

4. ELD GOALS (outcomes/objectives) for EL Learners: (Outcomes must be

observable and measurable.)

For exchanging information & ideas: -Contribute to group

discussions in think/pair/ share and in number heads together
groups. Student will use oral skills in class by acting as the reader,
demonstrator or nickname commentator in their group.

For English Language Development Level Continuum: -Use

writing skills to creatively summarize and explain how the digestion
system works in an entertaining short story. Referencing the key
words, graphs and graphic organizers discussed in class for content.

5. ADAPTATIONS: What supplementary materials or adapted texts have you

prepared for your English Learners? What graphic organizers will scaffold
instruction for your English Learners? What forms of technology can you
incorporate into your lesson to support English Learners? How will you scaffold
vocabulary instruction for English Learners?

Provided ELD students with preliminary study materials to read and

watch prior to the lesson. These materials included a picture book
called: I Have a Weird Brother Who Digested a Fly and a video of
The Magic School Bus Digestion System video on u-tube.
Use modified text for the class, for ease of understanding.

Provide ELD students vocabulary sheet with cognates to scaffold

vocabulary. For example: digestion/digestin; esophagus/esfago,
etc.
Use Human body chart to show where body parts are located.
Use a flow chart to show how food goes through the body parts.
Scaffold vocabulary with visual aids (props), gestures, repeating
words and rephrasing.
Use technology to enlarge visual aids and charts to ensure students
have access to the material.

Building Background
1. How will you link the concepts of the lesson to students background
knowledge (consider the students personal experiences as well as prior learning
in the classroom)?

Link the lesson with the previous lesson on nutrition and the food
plate
Use cracker experience to link the subject with an experience.
Identify other systems in their background that work together
Use Think/Pair/Share to have students discuss good or bad
digestive experiences
Emphasis key vocabulary words by using the content chart,
repeating words and definitions to relate to their everyday life by
having students make up nick names for the digestion parts
Link vocabulary words to visual body part on human chart
Use vocabulary self-selection to have students pick out vocabulary
words in the reading and underline them

Comprehensible Input
1. What will you do to help make content comprehensible? LIST the
chronological steps of your lesson in explicit detail (See example below). Be sure
to include time frames for each step of the lesson. Underline the steps of the
lesson where instruction will be differentiated for English Learners.

Use graphic organizer for the flow of the digestive system

Use Human Diagram to illustrate digestive parts vocabulary, helping
reiterate the vocabulary through pictures.

Associate the organs with a gesture using the nickname of the

organ as a basis for the gesture.
Use Think Alouds and Report Out to help scaffold lesson for students
Use props to demonstrate the function of each part in the digestive
system
The students will work in table groups to share ideas and their
stories with each other, helping each other as needed to complete
the process
Partner two EL students in each group to help them in the story
creation, letting them speak in primary knowledge to clarify the
project with each other

Lesson Steps:
1) Give me a thumbs up or down if you remember our lesson on nutrition
and the food plate. Put the food plate graph (attachment #1) on the
board. The food plate is a guide for to remember the components of a
healthy meal. Think Aloud questions: What are the sections of the food
plate? What is the relationship of food to our body? Either rephrase or
give answer: Food gives our body nutrition. Give thumbs up/ thumb
down: Are there good and bad foods for our body? Report out: Give me
some examples of good foods? What about bad foods? What is the
difference between good foods and bad foods? (2 minutes)
2) Think/Pair/ Share: How does your body process your food? Can you
think of a good or bad experience you have had after you ate a food what
happened in your body? (2 minutes)
3) Lets think about what happens to these good and bad foods in our
body while we do an experiment. Give students an observation organizer
log (attachment #2) and a cracker (dont eat the cracker), put the
observation guide on the overhead. Explain the sheet step by step:
Experiment/ noticed / explain what happened and what might happen
next/ Does it remind you of anything youve learned or have seen / what
are you curious about. Then have the students put the cracker in their
mouth. Tell them to just hold the cracker in their mouth and do not chew
or swallow it. While the cracker is in their mouth think. Ask them to think
about what is happening to the cracker? Are you noticing anything? Why
did start to get softer? What do you taste? Did the taste change? Have
them swallow cracker. Did it remind you of anything? What will happen
next to the cracker? (4 minutes)

4) In your table groups share your observations and fill out the log. Walk
and check with the groups. Check in with EL student to ensure they know
the process and are filling out the sheet. Call on each table group to share
an observation with the class. After each response ask group if they had
the same observations giving a thumbs up or down. Write responses on
the observation sheet on the overhead. Rephrase and expand on the
students answers, as needed. On the observation question what will
happen next? Expand on the fact that the process is just starting, the
cracker will go through a series of processes to get the food to the rest of
the body. (4 minutes)
5) Discuss that the cracker getting soft is the start of the digestive
process. Think/Pair/Share: based upon experiment, what is digestion? As
students discuss walk around and help students with their idea by
restating their comments. Should include breaking down, dividing, etc.
Students shared their thoughts with the whole class. Discuss the
meaning: to Divide Breaking down food into smaller and smaller parts
(1 minute)
Check in with EL student to ensure they know the process and are
answering the questions.
6) On the board write Digestion to start the vocabulary content wall
(attachment #3). Give EL students vocabulary content sheet that list
cognates to scaffold vocabulary, i.e.: digestion/digestion (attachment 3).
This will be the start of our vocabulary wall. State the lesson objective
which is written on the board: Students will know the steps of digestion
and the roles of each organ in the digestive system. (1 minute)
7) Discuss the Big Idea: The food breaks down into smaller and smaller
parts by working through the digestive system that has many working
parts /organs, each part does a job and it is important that all the parts
are working and doing their job for the whole system to work well. Work
as a table team: Can you think of systems, mechanisms or household
items that have many working parts that work together to accomplish
something? It can be from another lesson or from your own experience?
Elicit responses if having trouble, say what about a bicycle? What happens
when the chain falls off of your bike? The bike breaks? Your bike is a
system of parts that make it run smoothly. Everything must do its job to
run properly. (2 minutes)
8) Pass out a diagram of the digestive system with lines to list the organ
parts and functions (attachment 4). Put the diagram on the over head for
the class to see. Explain that in digestion system is divided into 3 phases
or categories: break the food down, move the nutrients to other places in
the body and move the waste products out of the body. Enlarge the
diagram for the board. Explain that like the digestive system that we also
5

have to work as a team in the classroom, so today everyone will have a

part in teaching the lesson. (1 minutes)
The EL students were each given an opportunity prior to the lesson to
read a simple picture book called I have a weird brother who digested a
fly, which explains the digestive process in simple terms. They were
partnered in groups of two each taking turns reading the book with the
assistance of an aide. If they needed to confer in their native language
they could do so with each other and the aide guiding them. Also they
watched the The Magic School Bus Digestion system video on utube
during free time.
9) Divide the students into 8 groups of 3-4 students, using the numbered
heads together model. Each group will have a prop (see prop listing)
NOTE: rectum-anus -plastic container with hole -holding area teacher to
show as part of large intestine. In addition, each group will have a
description of the organ to read (Attachment #5) Explain that each group
will read the description and figure out the relationship of the prop with
the organ. (Tip or hint will be provided) They will come up with a
nickname of the organ based on the function. Explain that a nickname
describes a person or things strength in one word. For instance, if you
have a dog that is fast you might call him speed. Report out: Can you
come up with another nickname for a fast dog? Students answer. Raise
your hand if you have a nickname? Okay now, raise your hand if you
would like to share your nickname with the class and why you were given
that name? Call on students and let them give their nickname and why
they were given that name. (3 minutes)
10) Have the students work together to decide in their group who will be
the reader / demonstrator (of prop) & Nickname commentator/recorder (of
nickname) If 4 in a group they can have a commentator & recorder. Have
them read the passage in their group and come up with the nickname and
relationship the prop has to the organ. Go around and ensure that the
students understand the process, help them expand their ideas and/or
brainstorm on nicknames. Check with that each group has a nickname by
the end of the brainstorm session. (5 minutes)
The EL students are to be in different groups in the groups with 3 students
to ensure complete participation. Provide ELD students vocabulary sheet
with definitions to supplement reading material. Provide extra help to
groups to come up with appropriate nicknames.
11) Each group will present to the class. One student will read the
description. The rest of the class will follow the reading with the
description handout. After the reading, have students call out any difficult
vocabulary, have them underline the word. Then review the meaning,
putting the words on the content wall (see content wall example). Explain
that underlining vocabulary is a good strategy to pinpoint difficulty
6

vocabulary and focus on learning the words. Additional vocabulary words:

bile, nutrients, muscles, carbohydrates, proteins & fats, absorption. The
carbohydrates, proteins & fats relate to the food plate nutrients. While we
call them veggies, fruits, starches & proteins. The digestive system calls
them sugars, carbohydrates, proteins and fats, most foods have a
combination of these nutrients. Each is processed differently through the
digestive system. Use cognates to scaffold vocabulary. For example:
digestion/digestin; esophagus/esfago, etc.
(15 minutes)
12) The next student (or students if 4 in group) will demonstrate and
explain how the prop relates to the organ, using the hint provided. (Time
part of #7)
13) The last student in the group will say the nickname for the organ and
write the organ name and nickname on the diagram on the board.
Provide further explanation and repeat the name function and nickname
relationship. After each presentation the students will write the name /
nick name on their personal chart. The class will then repeat the name
and nickname as a group. (Time part of #7)
14) After the presentations, demonstrate how food goes through the
digestive system where the nutrients and water from the foods and
liquids we eat get moved throughout our body; explain the food
pathway (mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine,
and rectum). .Using a flow chart (Attachment #6) Give each student a
flow chart to fill out. Put the flow chart up on the overhead for
students. Go through the steps. Talk about the time it takes to digest
food depends on its composition. How does the body process good
foods & bad foods differently? A fatty meal takes longer to digest than
one rich in sugars or proteins. On average, digestion takes 2-3 days.
Explain the length of time it takes to process in each part: Stomach 2-3
hours, small intestine 6 hours/ large intestine 50-60 hours. Explain that
the digestive helpers (liver, Gall Bladder and Pancreas) are not part of
the food pathway, show them on flow chart where these come in the
process. (4 minutes)
15) While filling out the flow chart. Demonstrate a gesture for each
part (Attachment #7). Repeat organ name, nick names and gestures.
As you point at the chart Students will call out together and repeat the
names and gestures. Repeat a couple of times. (2 minutes)
16) Explain that the students will write a story book with pictures called If
I were a Cheeseburger. Each page should discuss 1 organ in the food
pathway (6 parts) and describe what happens to the cheeseburger in
function order including a hand drawn picture. Show the students the
7

Rubric (Attachment #8) The story should be creative. Use complete

sentences with adjectives to describe what is going on. Ask students to
recites some good adjectives. The story should use our key vocabulary
from our content chart. Review the vocabulary. Call on students to fill in
the definitions. Remind them to keep in mind that a cheeseburger
includes carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Remind them that they can
use the human diagram and flow chart for reference. The students can
work in table groups share ideas and their stories with each other, helping
each other as needed to complete the process. (20 minutes)
Provide EL students with sentence starter ideas to provide scaffolding for
story project. Touch base with each EL student to ensure they have
formulated a story. Make sure the EL students are partnered in their
group so that can help each other clarify questions on content and
sentence structure, using their primary language if necessary
After the lesson- recap during reading time or the end of the day:
17) As a recap at later time in class read the picture book to the class that
was given to the EL students earlier, I Have a Weird Brother Who Digested
a Fly. While reading repeat the vocabulary words from the content word
char and add the gestures for the organs. (10 minutes)

Strategies
1. List the cognitive strategies your students will use during the lesson (e.g.,
problem solving, predicting, organizing, summarizing, categorizing, evaluating,
self-monitoring

Use student observations logs to predict and to discuss findings

Read the text and underline vocabulary words from the test and put
the words on a content wall
Use Think Alouds and Report Out to help scaffold lesson for students
Paraphrase and repeat key content throughout the lesson.
Use Numbered Heads Together groupings to problem solve, coming
up with a nickname for the organ in their group.
Create a short story describing and summarizing the steps of the
digestive system

Interaction
1. Explain the types of interaction (i.e., cooperative groupings) in the lesson
that will develop students listening and speaking skills in English.

Use Think/Pair/Share and Table Teams for observation and

brainstorming, which will utilize listening and speaking skills.
Use Numbered Heads Together for sharing the parts of the digestive
system which will provide content support from peers and promote
listening and speaking skills. In addition it will provide interaction
with peers and oral practice when presenting to the class.
The students can work in table groups share ideas and their stories
with each other, helping each other as needed to complete the
process
Partner EL Students together during the written story making to
give them extra support to clarify questions on content and
sentence structure, using their primary language if necessary

Practice/Application
1. Identify the steps of the lesson when students will practice or apply what
they have learned in this lesson.

They will observe, write and think critically for the observation log
The students will practice by writing the names of the digestion
parts onto their human chart
They will also writing the part names on the food pathway on the
flow chart
They will practice the names of the parts by repeating names,
nicknames and gestures
They will read text, practice verbal skills and collaborate in their
project groups, each person having a role: reader, demonstrator or
commentator/reporter.
They will practice writing skills and apply their knowledge when
they write their stories

Review/Assessment
1. Identify the points in the lesson when you will check for understanding

Check in with thumbs up / thumbs down questions.

Check in with each group during Think/Pair/Share to ensure that
they understand the questions
Check in with each group during Numbered Head Together and have
them paraphrase what they will say to the class when they share
their findings.
Check the students digestive diagram and flow chart to ensure they
labeled the parts correctly

Review vocabulary by repeating name/ nickname and gesture for

each digestive part as a class group
Provide a rubric for the story and assess the story based off the
rubric.
Recap vocabulary by reading the picture book, repeating the
vocabulary words throughout the book.

10

Example of steps of the lesson:

1. Hold up a ball and point to a picture of an animal. Think-Pair-Share: How are the
two things are different? (Living vs. non-living). What are other examples of living
things? What are other examples of non-living things? (5 minutes)
2. Explain that living and non-living things live together in an ecosystem. Write the
word ecosystem on the science word wall in the classroom. (1 minutes)
3. Think. Pair. Share. Ask students to name various parts of their ecosystem in the
classroom. Be sure to elicit responses including living and non-living things. (2
minutes)
4. State the content objective to students (that is written on the board): Today we are
going to learn how living and non-living components of ecosystems interact. (1
minute)
5. Number off students in each table group to complete a numbered heads together
activity. Show students a picture of a rainforest and state that this is a picture of a
Rainforest Ecosystem. Ask students to define the living and nonliving components
of the rainforest ecosystem in their table groups. Call on a number and then ask an
individual student to respond for his or her group. Repeat the activity for the kelp
forest, tidal pool and desert ecosystems. Be sure to emphasize the word ecosystem.
(3 minutes per picture, 12 minutes total)
6. Ask students to take out a piece of paper, divide it into four sections, and write the
word ecosystem in the middle of the paper. (1 minute)
7. Think.Pair.Share: What is the definition of ecosystem? As students share, help
students articulate their ideas by restating and/or rephrasing their comments. Solicit
responses that incorporate the words living and non-living in the answer. (3
minutes)
8. After the students have shared their responses write the definition for ecosystem on
the word wall: An ecosystem is a community of living and non-living things that
work together. (2 minutes)
9. On the overhead projector divide the screen into four sections and write the word
ecosystem in the middle of the screen. The students will write the definition for the
word ecosystem in the first quadrant on their papers (model this step on the
overhead). In the second quadrant, the students should provide examples of
ecosystems. Ask the students to recall the ecosystems used in the numbered heads

11

together activity (write the word examples on the overhead in the second quadrant
to remind the students). In the third quadrant the students should write a sentence
using the word ecosystem (write the word sentence on the overhead in the third
quadrant to remind the students. Jorge can work with a partner to compose a
sentence). In the fourth quadrant the students should draw and label a picture of an
ecosystem (write the word picture in the fourth quadrant to remind the students).
(12 minutes)
10. Ask students to place their completed vocabulary development pages into their
vocabulary binders for future reference. (1 minute)
11. Pass out a picture of an ecosystem to each table group and a note-taking page. Jorges
group will be assigned the rainforest. Note: Jorge has been provided with a book on
rainforests in Spanish to read for homework the day before the lesson. He has been
asked to identify living and non-living things in the book.
12. Students should work together in their table groups to complete the note-taking page.
Circulate around the groups while students are working, ensuring that all students are
participating, and answering any questions. Check to ensure that Jorge has
contributed to his group by verbally identifying one living and one non-living
component of the rainforest ecosystem and can orally explain how the non-living
thing helps the living thing survive. If a student is not participating gently encourage
the student to participate by asking questions, or having the student speak directly to a
partner. (10 minutes).
13. Explain to the students that they are now going to use their note-taking guide to write
a paragraph about ecosystems. Ask the students what the first sentence in a paragraph
is called (topic sentence). Tell the students that they can use the definition of
ecosystem to write a good topic sentence. (1 minute)
14. Think. Pair. Share. What is a good topic sentence for a paragraph about ecosystems?
Guide the students responses and write the following topic sentence on the board for
the students to copy: An ecosystem is a community of living and non-living things
that all work together. As students write provide Jorge with a differentiated writing
guide that will provide him with additional scaffolding for writing his paragraph. (3
minutes)
15. Explain that the next sentence in the paragraph should focus the paragraph by stating
what ecosystem will be discussed in the paragraph. Solicit example sentences from
the students about how they will construct this sentence. Examples should follow the
pattern: A _____ is one example of an ecosystem. (3 minutes)

12

16. Explain to the students that they can now continue their paragraph by writing one
sentence using each section of their note-taking guide. Circulate around the groups
while students are working, ensuring that all students are participating, and answering
any questions. (Allow the students 10 minutes of writing time.)
17. Explain that the students must finish their paragraph with a concluding sentence.
Tell the students they can write a concluding sentence by using several adjectives to
describe their particular ecosystem. Brainstorm a list of adjectives that students can
use in their concluding sentence and write them on the board (diverse, amazing,
abundant, and interesting). (5 minutes)
18. Have students write their concluding sentence and turn in their note-taking guide and
paragraph for feedback. (3 minutes).

13